Land-for-Jobs Scandal: Rashtriya Janata Dal President and former Chief Minister of Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav and several members of his family are facing investigation in a money laundering case related to the alleged land-for-jobs scam. In the case, the Enforcement Directorate interrogated Lalu Yadav for about nine hours on Monday (January 29) and on Tuesday, the investigating agency called his son and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav for questioning. A Delhi court has sent summons to Lalu Yadav’s two daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav to appear on February 9.Â
It is alleged that Lalu Yadav was the Railway Minister in the UPA-1 government during 2004 to 2009, when the alleged land-for-job scam was carried out. Lands were taken as bribe from D Group recruitment candidates in Railways after getting their jobs.
What is the land-for-jobs scam?
According to the charge sheet of the Enforcement Directorate, Lalu Yadav’s family got land at seven places. The family is accused of money laundering worth about Rs 600 crore. It is alleged that land worth about Rs 4 crore was transferred to the name of family members for Rs 26 lakh. In this case, five members of Lalu Yadav’s family are accused, which include his wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav, daughters Misa Bharti and Hema Yadav.
Lalu family implicated in these seven cases related to alleged scam
1. Sanjay Rai of Patna sold his 3375 square feet plot to Rabri Devi for Rs 3.75 lakh. Two people from Sanjay Rai’s family got jobs.
2. In 2014, Rabri Devi became the director of a company AK Infosystem Private Limited. It is alleged that Hazari Rai, a resident of Patna, had sold his large land to this company and his two nephews got jobs in the Railways.
3. Lal Babu Rai of Patna had sold his 1,360 square feet land to Rabri Devi for Rs 13 lakh. Rai’s son Lal Chand Kumar was appointed as a substitute in the Railways.Â
4. A person named Vishun Dev Rai had sold the land to Lalan Chaudhary, a resident of Siwan. Lalan’s grandson was recruited as a substitute in the Railways. In 2014, that land was given to Lalu Yadav’s daughter Hema Yadav.
5. Kishun Dev Rao, a resident of Patna, had given his 3375 square feet land to Rabri Devi for Rs. 4.4 lakh. Three people from Kishun Dev Rao’s family were recruited in Group D in Railways.
6. Kiran Devi, a resident of Patna, transferred her 80,905 square feet land in the name of Lalu Yadav’s daughter Misa Bharti for Rs 3.70 lakh. Kiran Devi’s son was recruited as a substitute in Mumbai.Â
7. A person named Braj Nandan Rai sold his 3,375 square feet land to Hridayanand Chaudhary of Gopalganj for Rs 4.21 lakh. Chaudhary was recruited as a substitute in Hajipur. Later Hridayanand gifted that land to Lalu Yadav’s daughter Hema Yadav.
Summary
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav and family face money laundering charges in the land-for-jobs scam. Lalu was interrogated for nine hours by the Enforcement Directorate, and his son Tejashwi Yadav was also summoned. Two daughters received court summons. Allegedly occurring during Lalu’s tenure as Railway Minister (2004-2009), the scam involves lands obtained as bribes from D Group railway job candidates. The family is accused of money laundering totaling approximately Rs 600 crore, acquiring land in seven instances. The alleged scam links jobs in Railways to land transactions involving Lalu Yadav’s family members.
